Art Prize Winners announced

Lara Merrett wins Australia’s highest-value women’s art prize

Lara Merrett’s masterly painting Dusking (Nature Banner), is the Professional Artist winner of the 2022 Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize. The judges described Merrett’s work as a luminous large-scale immersive painting that through its colour, form and direct physicality invites a visceral response.

Dusking (Nature Banner) is the result of deep exploration of media – the canvas is ripped and torn, colour and dyes are stained, washed and painted,’ said Jennifer Turpin, practising artist, judge and Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize Patron. ‘The work appears joyously spontaneous but in fact, results from an ongoing practice of endless experimentation of rejection and selection. Merrett pushes the boundaries of what a painting can be.’ Merrett is based in Sydney and is represented by Sydney and Singapore-based gallery Sullivan+ Strumpf.

The Federal Minister for Bradfield and Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, officially opened the 2022 Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize on Friday 13 May, held at Ravenswood.

Many of the 1540 entries received in this year’s Art Prize reflected on their environment – their natural environment, home environment or personal environment.

The Emerging Artist Prize was won by Nazila Jahangir for her oil painting A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which the judges described as haunting, mysterious and enigmatic. They further commented that ‘it is a painting of the unexpected. A young woman reclining backwards on a bench … is she dreaming? A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an ambiguous narrative asks more questions than it answers. Why can’t we see her head? Why is there an oversized eucalyptus flower by her side? This is an intriguing and magical painting.’ Jahangir is based in Perth, Western Australia.

Central Arnhem Land artist Melinda Gedjen, has won the Indigenous Emerging Artist Prize for her artwork Woven Mat. ‘Embedded in Gedjen’s artwork is all the energy, care, concentration and knowledge of its making,’ said the judges. ‘Natural dyes have produced clear colours that speak of country and tradition in a lively contemporary work.’ Melinda is from Bula’Bula Arts based in Ramingining, about 400 kilometres east of Darwin

The Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize is Australia’s highest-value art prize for women artists with a $35,000 Professional Artist Prize, as well as an Emerging Artist Prize of $5,000 and an Indigenous Emerging Artist Prize of $5,000. There is also a People’s Choice Award of $2,000.

Established by Ravenswood School for Girls in 2017 to recognise, encourage and promote women in the visual arts, the Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize is proudly supported by Gold-Plus Sponsor, Stockland, and Gold Sponsors R.M. Williams Outback Magazine and Active Networks.

One hundred and four finalists representing every state and territory across Australia contended for the three prizes. Artworks are on display and available for purchase in the 2022 Exhibition of Finalists at Ravenswood School for Girls, Centenary Centre, 10 Henry Street, Gordon NSW. The Exhibition is open from Thursday to Sunday between 14 May and 29 May.

‘I am immensely proud to oversee our sixth annual prize and exhibition for women artists,’ said Ravenswood School for Girls Principal Mrs Anne Johnstone. ‘At Ravenswood, we are passionate about empowering women and this generous art prize is a way for us to advance Australia’s talented women artists, providing them with a platform to showcase their creative expression and extraordinary talents.’